


Painted Galaxies

by IchiBri



Series: JMMonth2017 [8]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Jean's thirst is a bit too obvious, M/M, Swearing, body painter jean, model Marco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 11:58:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11379732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IchiBri/pseuds/IchiBri
Summary: A client gives Jean free artistic rein for a magazine piece, and Jean knows exactly who he wants to paint upon.JeanMarcoMonth2017 - Prompt Pattern/Story





	Painted Galaxies

He was a canvas many clients requested, giving off auras to be desired – strength, beauty, sophistication.  Jean had touched brush to his body so many times he couldn’t recall the exact number.  But what he could recall was every nook and cranny of sculpted and contoured muscles, like ones from Greek statues of the gods, and every freckle upon his tawny skin like constellations in the sky.  It almost pained Jean to cover those stars with paint, but when he could, he’d incorporate them into the overall design.  He only wished more clients requested galaxies and starry skies.

Maybe Jean should consider changing his specialty.  He was always great at camouflage jobs.  There was something about tricking the eye into overlooking a bare person in the background that brought Jean great pride.  Big name product brands from soda to sneakers wanted his talent for creative advertisements.  And he enjoyed it.  He truly did, but there was something almost blasphemous about slapping a shoe logo over the freckles upon his favorite canvas’s skin.

But today, Jean wouldn’t be committing a sacrilegious act.  He lucked out with a client from an art magazine who gave him free rein to do whatever he wanted on whomever he wanted.  It wasn’t often he got such artistic freedom, and he called to book Marco before he even came up with a design.

Given a week’s time to contemplate it, he considered going in many different directions.  But after countless pages and ideas being scrapped, he came up with the perfect one.  He wondered how he didn’t think of it sooner.  After all, how many times did he bemoan about the utter lack of galaxies he got to paint on Marco’s skin?

When the day to execute it finally came, it was just Jean in the studio.  The other painters had off, and maybe Jean purposefully scheduled it that way.  He’d deny it if confronted about it, but he also doubted anyone cared enough to investigate.

“Good morning, Jean.”

Jean paused in his gathering of paints to smile at Marco.  “Mornin’.”

“Just us today?” Marco asked as he shed his jacket.  He hung it on a coat rack before crossing the room to Jean’s work table.

“Yeah.  We’re gonna be using black light paint so it’ll be easier with no one else trying to work,” Jean ducked his head as he spoke.  He hoped that was a convincing enough excuse, because he wasn’t about to admit the real reason he enjoyed their one-on-one time.

“Oh?” Marco perked up.  “Going all out today?”

“I’ve been taken off my leash,” Jean chuckled.  He shuffled through a couple sketchbooks before opening one up to reveal today’s design.  “I’ve got free artistic rein for this one,” he slid the sketch across the work table.

Head slightly tilted, Marco gazed at the colored sketch.  His lips upturned into a gentle smile as he softly laughed.  “I see why you chose me.”

Jean’s cheeks heated at the comment.  In his mind, there was no other model he’d rather paint upon.

“Yeah,” Jean awkwardly laughed.  He recovered by grabbing the nearest sponge and saying, “Shall we get started?”

“No time like the present.”

God, Jean swore Marco’s cheery lilt would put the voices of angels to shame.  And when Marco stripped off his shirt, Jean blinked his eyes closed and took a deep breath to calm his rapid heartbeat.  By the time he blinked them open, Marco stood in all his glory with his back to Jean.

“So, where do you want me?” Marco half-turned to look back at Jean.

“Uh, on the cloth,” Jean said, throat suddenly far too dry as he pointed to the prepared space.  Black cloth draped down the wall and spilled over the floor, and Jean hoped it stayed in place with how much of a pain it was to put up.

Marco padded barefoot onto the cloth before lowering himself to the ground.  Back still to Jean, Marco tucked his legs at his side, delicately placed his hand atop his foot, and leaned in the opposite direction to rest some of his weight on his palm.

“How’s this?”

As Marco glanced back over his shoulder, Jean swallowed.  He blinked at the vulnerability of the pose, at the softness of Marco’s shoulders and back.  He was so used to showcasing Marco’s strength that he wanted to try something more delicate.  And now as he stared upon relaxed muscles, the soft slope of his torso’s silhouette, and his bare rounded buttocks; Jean’s lips parted in awe.

“Jean?”

“Oh, uh, yeah.  It’s pretty good.  Just let me…” he trailed off as he knelt down behind Marco.  Fingertips brushing over Marco’s skin, Jean softly but firmly adjusted the pose so Marco’s elbow lay flush against his hip.  Jean feathered his fingers over Marco’s neck before guiding it slightly forward.  He trailed his pointer finger along Marco’s jaw to his chin, crooking it to pull Marco’s gaze to the side.

“There.  Just like that.”

Jean stood to gather his paints, brushes, and sponges before bringing them to the ground.  As he settled in behind Marco once more, he said, “If you start getting sore or tingly, let me know, and we’ll take a break.”

“Will do,” Marco said.

With that, Jean uncapped his paints and got to work.  He started with the base colors, sponging them upon the middle of Marco’s back and working outwards in a spiral to match the vortex in his sketch.

Jean lost himself in the process.  Tongue peeking between his lips with his concentration, some models found his quiet focus to be unnerving.  It was another of many reasons he preferred working in the studio alone, because he loved the silence broken only by brushstrokes and sponge dabs.  And Marco understood.  They had worked together enough that the silence was amiable to the both of them.

Every now and then, though, Jean would catch the soft tune of Marco’s humming, but that he could handle.  Actually, he welcomed the faint melodies.  And he figured Marco knew that without being told, because whenever Jean’s brow furrowed with frustration, a calming melody would soothe his irritation.

Jean sponged lower, laying down a base of black with a small oval of white and blue upon the upper globes of Marco’s cheeks.

“It’s only polite to take a guy out to dinner first before groping his ass.”

Jean sputtered and dropped the sponge onto the cloth.  “Wh-wha–”

The soft chuckle which followed had Jean’s ears burning red.  “Dinner.  You and me.  How ‘bout it?”

“I–” Jean blinked to regain his focus, but he trailed behind.  “I’ve touched your ass plenty of times before.”

A puff of amusement blew past Marco’s nostrils.  “Oh, I know,” he said, voice light and airy and far too delighted.  “Your touch tends to linger.”

“Oh my god,” Jean dropped his head to his paint-smeared hands.  “Was I that obvious?”

“Very.”  Jean couldn’t see Marco’s face, but he heard the smug smile in Marco’s voice.  “So, dinner.  How ‘bout when we’re done here, you take me to the Italian place down the block so I don’t have to tell people our first date was you groping my butt.”

Despite his embarrassment, Jean laughed.  “It’d make an interesting story though.  Imagine telling that to some grandkids.”

“Oh?  You’re already thinking about our grandchildren.  Aren’t you moving a bit too quickly?”

“I swear to god, Marco, if you don’t shut up and let me paint, I’m gonna draw a dick on your ass.”

“Well, you do have free rein to paint anything, so go for it.”

“Marco!” Jean laughed, each syllable of Marco’s name vibrating in his chest.  Marco followed suit, and their laughter mixed together to wrap them in a comfort and space all their own.

When their laughter died down, Jean would have to reset Marco’s pose; but he supposed it was worth it.  After all, he didn’t get to paint a galaxy every day.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd highly recommend checking out John Poppleton's body painting because it is frickin amazing and it's the inspiration for Jean's galaxy design/pose.
> 
> And as always, find me @ichibri on tumblr and twitter


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